With momentum after consecutive wins, the Crew hoped it was bringing a template for success last
night to Montreal’s Saputo Stadium.

Instead, the Impact, owner of the worst record in Major League Soccer, got goals from designated
player Ignacio Piatti, and the Crew was shut out for the first time since June 29 in a 2-0 loss
before 15,995 fans.

“It was disappointing, of course,” Crew captain Michael Parkhurst said. “I thought we got away
from what made us successful the last couple weeks, and we got a little overanxious to impress and
we got stretched.”

After entering the weekend fourth in the Eastern Conference, anything but a loss would have
moved the Crew (8-9-9, 33 points) into sole possession of third place during a week in which two of
the three teams higher in the standings lost. Instead, the Crew dropped to the fifth and final
playoff spot with eight games remaining.

It wasn’t the only loss for the Crew. Midfielders Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani both picked up
yellow cards and will serve one-game suspensions for accumulation next Sunday, when the Crew plays
Chivas USA at Crew Stadium. Tchani leads all Crew field players with 2,312 minutes played, and
Trapp, the team’s vice captain, is a key component of coach Gregg Berhalter’s system.

“They were the better team tonight,” Berhalter said of the Impact. “Make no mistake about it:
They deserved that win. We weren’t sharp. We had a number of guys who got outcompeted, and they
lost their battles.”

Montreal won for only the fifth time this season, all of them at home. The Impact (5-15-5, 20
points) had won just once in its past nine games (1-8-0), while the Crew had outscored its past two
opponents by a combined total of 7-1.

As in last meeting between these teams, Montreal struck first. But unlike in that game, which
the Crew won 2-1 on July 19, the Crew had no answers.

After Impact midfielder Felipe Martins poked the ball away from Trapp near midfield, Piatti
accelerated into open space along the left flank. With Trapp chasing and the Crew defense
recovering inside its penalty area, Piatti crossed into the area and feinted to his right.

When Parkhurst jumped in anticipation of a shot, Piatti switched feet, cut to his left and got
off a left-footed shot that beat Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark to the far post in the 40th
minute.

“I go to block the shot because I think he’s going to shoot with his favored right foot,”
Parkhurst said. “It was a good goal by them, but it was preventable.”

It was the only goal Montreal would need, but Piatti scored again in the 94th minute on a
counterattack. They were the Impact’s only real chances of the game, but both were converted.

Piatti was signed on July 2 and had not scored in his first two games with the club.

“Piatti has quality,” Berhalter said. “We made two mistakes, and he made us pay for them.”

Tchani’s yellow card came in the 34th minute for tackling Piatti, and Trapp was called in the
81st for a late takedown, also on Piatti.